Posted by BassMiesterNJ on 09-03-2003 10:30 AM:

Never caught a fish on this lure =>

I thought it would be interesting to hear which lures don't work for you.

Granted this is only my second year of Bass fishing and owning a boat but, I have never caught a Bass on the following:

1) Spinner Bait (OK one dink but, I don't really like this lure)

2) C-rigged Lizard (I like C-rigging and have caught fish but never with a Lizard)

3) Spittin Image (just started trying it haven't been bit even with a pretty good topwater bite going on)

4) Sara Spook - nada

What lures haven't you caught Bass on...?

Posted by HugeFish4 on 09-03-2003 10:33 AM:

I have never caught a bass on a C-rig. Everytime I throw it...nada.

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Posted by Charlie on 09-03-2003 10:40 AM:

Never caught a bass on a bare hook!

If you have lures that "dont work" you have two things to do.

1. Fish them until you get it right.

2. Throw them away and stick with what works for you!

Tight Lines!
Charlie

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Posted by HugeFish4 on 09-03-2003 10:45 AM:

When I was in High School, I use to slaughter crappie on a plain old gold hook attached to a gold swivel.

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Posted by Charlie on 09-03-2003 10:49 AM:

Did they have schools back then?

Oh of course, they used the "Senko style pens"

That explains SO much!!!!!

Charlie

Posted by BULLFROG on 09-03-2003 10:55 AM:

I never had much success with top water plugs and crank baits. Especially diving crank baits. I've had fish follow suspending minnows but very few hits. After several fish following a suspending minnow with no success I would throw something else and usually catch a fish.

Posted by joe p on 09-03-2003 11:39 AM:

Ive caught at least, a few fish on most lures and baits, but the 2 lures that I havent caught a fish at all are.....

.....a Blade bait , like a silver buddy or a tail spinner...and a jigging spoon like a Hopkins.....

Hopefully, this year, that will change as I intend to fish a little more into the colder months thats coming....

Joe

Posted by bobn on 09-03-2003 12:09 PM:

anyone ever catch anything on the helicoper or the dragon fly on a lily pad thingie?

Posted by CUS on 09-03-2003 01:14 PM:

I like this thread...

I've caught fish on just about every lure I own, but to say I'm proficient at all would be a huge joke. I've got my favorites and I've got some that I know catch fish just not for me.

My "nemesis" are the RattleTrap and the jigging spoons (lumping blade baits in there as well). I've caught fish on a RattleTrap, but really do not have confidence in it. I've never fished in the club or tournament scene with anyone who has ever fished a RattleTrap for more than 15 minutes, so I think never seeing success with the lure (or experiencing great success) with it has reduced my confidence.

I'm going to try throwing the 'trap a lot more on Oneida Lake as I'm covering water just looking for potential areas. Any suggestions or tips as to how to properly fish it. I just can't believe casting it out and reeling it back in is ALL there is to it!!??

I did just catch my first jigging spoon fish on Lake Erie this past weekend (2+ smallie in 32'). The only reason I threw the HOPKINS is after reading Noel's and Rob (WNY) posts about it.

One question... do you fish the Hopkins while drifting? Cause if I fished it behind me the spoon/line drifted away from the boat and felt like I lost control of the bait. and if I fished it in front the spoon/line goes under the boat. Or do you have to stay on the trolling motor and keep yourself in position? Or do I need a heavier lure (I was throwing 3/4 oz.)?

Mike

Posted by Gregg on 09-03-2003 01:24 PM:

Weedless frogs on mats, not for a lack of trying. Blowups, lost in the gak, unbuttoned but never boated

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Posted by CUS on 09-03-2003 01:31 PM:

Greg,

What rod and line are you using?

Right off the bat, you have to figure around 30 - 40% of the fish that strike aren't going to get the bait good enough for you to even swing on them.

But what I've found that seems to help is a heavy rod (ie. flipping stick size) and 50+lb FireLine/SpiderWire or other brand braid with no stretch.

If you try fishing with mono it really hurts your hook setting ability.

One more thing you may want to look into, is switching hooks. I hear Gamakatsu now makes a double frog hook. I've not yet located a dealer that sells them, but when I do, I'm switching all my frog/rat hooks out.

Posted by Gregg on 09-03-2003 01:43 PM:

Thanks Cus, I do use a med-heavy rod with power pro but fishing the gak and mats is not something I do alot.

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Posted by CUS on 09-03-2003 01:50 PM:

You hit the nail on the head... hard to get good at something if you don't do it a lot. And all of us (including myself) if we don't have confidence in something will typically only try it for a little while. I'll make the obligatory 15 casts and then put it down.

I find that I get this nagging voice in my head saying "you know you don't catch fish on a rattle trap, why are you throwing it? Throw the tube, or the jig/pig"...

Of course before I joined a club, I never threw a jig/pig or tube. Once I fished with guys who knew what they were doing, and I could ask questions.... jig and pig became my go to bait.

I'd love to get out with a 'trap or jigging spoon expert to build my confidence.

Posted by Lpbassman on 09-03-2003 01:55 PM:

The only lure I have not had any success with is also a blade bait. All the others seem to work for me.

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Posted by carpecarpium on 09-03-2003 02:05 PM:

The brushhog and other creature baits, the Heddon Tiny Torpedo, the Rapala Husky Jerk and Smithwick Rogue.

I "know" that these are fish catchers--just look at how popular they are and how many people you know swear by them. But as with most lures you don't have confidence in, I only fish them when all my standbys aren't producing. In other words, I only use them when nothing is hitting--a real bad time for just about any lure.

Catching fish with different lures is part of the fun of fishing but I think locating active fish accounts for 90 percent of your success. Once you've located active fish, usually any number of lures will take them. Although some will take more under the circumstances. Finding out which ones are the most effective in any given circumstance is also part of the fun.

Posted by Charlie on 09-03-2003 02:28 PM:

It is very interesting to see SO many people say that blade baits cause them problems.

There is very little differences between say a Silver Buddy and a rattletrap. It’s all about the speed of retrieve and the depth!

I have fishing friends who can catch fish in almost any conditions on blade baits and I have learned from them how to fish them effectively.

BIG secret with the blade is a snap connection (like a certain crankbait that I can't mention). Fact is, if you direct tie or use the wrong type of snap, you are not going to get the desired results.

We all have access to the Internet now and we can contact writers and most well known anglers directly.

Don't be afraid to ask the dumbest question, because the ONLY dumb question is the one you DONT ASK!

I have spoken too most of the best bass fishermen and women in the world and I have learned SO much by asking them stuff that others might shy away from for the fear of seeming like a dummy!

Van Dam taught me how to retrieve a spinnerbait, David Fritz stood with me when I first tried crankbait fishing and corrected my grip and rod positioning. Jay Yelas taught me to slow down my jig and pig presentation, Woo Daves showed me how to make a Carolina Rig effective in shallow and very deep water.

All I did was ASK!

John G will tell you that these men and women are THE most approachable folk you could ever wish for, so when in doubt, track them down, visit them at trade shows drop them e-mails and get the answers!

Tight Lines!
Charlie

Posted by HookUp on 09-03-2003 02:42 PM:

Work it

I have confidence baits and not so confidence baits.

I'm down to three or four baits that I fish 90% of the time, but always willing to learn.

When I feel I need practice with a certain bait, I ask (thanx y'all) on chat rooms, read up on internet searches and books in my library, then go out on the water WITH JUST THAT BAIT.

Sure, I'm no expert, but this year I finally started catching fish with Spinnerbaits.

Last year, crank baits.

Carry a variety of sizes and colors and fish the snot out of them until you gain confidence and technique.

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Posted by Wild Bill on 09-03-2003 02:48 PM:

Dang, I am feeling good about myself....

because the only type of lure I have not caught on is a blade boat[like a silver buddy] because I have NEVER thrown them....
Now, I may be a bit manic [a HUGE understatement], but to truly learn a bait, I feel you must STICK with it ALL day, or for DAYS till you feel you have confidence in it, and your abilities with it, and keep asking others about what you experienced with it till you feel you really have it nailed down. I have devoted whole days on end to certain baits to strengthen my abiltiy with them, and left all other poles and lures home so I had NO other choice, as frustrated I got.
Fortunately, my wallet has also allowed me to hire guides over the years which I have learned HUGE volumes of info from. When I hire a guide, it is not to catch fish, but rather how to fish a specific technique of Bassing and the nuances of that technique, continously asking questions and critique of my applications of that style from the guide. {Okay, catching bass is a Bonus}. Some guides truly pride themselve at being "teaching guides", so make clear your intentions and desires when hiring a guide, so you don;t get a guy that wants to 'drown shiners' all day if you want to fish artificials only.
Fishing with other anglers who know and excel at a specific style of fishing is also an awesome way to learn, and on the water I will soon be taking "Slider 101" from a know local master from this site, and looking forward to it hugely, as it will enhance my abilities even further by providing me with one additional 'tool in my toolbox' of catching Bass.
Thanks so much to all that share so freely.....

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Posted by Charlie on 09-03-2003 02:48 PM:

Both the last two contributions hit the nail on the head... Once you find what you want............... practice, practice, practice.

Tight Lines!
Charlie

Posted by MikeYac on 09-03-2003 03:14 PM:

Confidence is almost always the key.

You have certain go-to baits when things are tough, whether its a spinnerbait, crankbait, worm, etc... You have confidence in your techniques and your past experiences with catching fish with your go-to lures. If your catching fish with these lures you stick with them, if your not catching fish you go to them anyway because you are comfortable with fishing them. This could be detrimental to your fishing habits.

I use to be primarially a spinnerbait fisherman. All day long I would fish this lure because it just looks like a great action lure that will catch fish and it usually did. However, it really wasn't till this year I started to really concentrate on soft-bait techniques. It was a big difference. I would have 3 rods on board, 2 with soft-baits and 1 with a spinnerbait. For me, this year, the soft-baits outperformed the spinnerbait big-time! This gave me a whole new attitude on Bass fishing. I have learned (many thanks to the guys on this site) that you must try different techniques to catch fish at different times, and it payed off.

Now I am concentrating on structure fishing in deeper water. I was always a "pound the shoreline fishermen" now that I have a depth finder on board I am learning (very inexperienced) how to read under-water structure. I am fishing areas now that I would have never fished before and that too is paying off.

I have a good question:

How many lures are in your tackle box that you thought looked great in a catalog or on the shelf at the local tackle shop, that you have NEVER used! I can probably go fishing now with a small tackle box and still have the confidence I need to catch a decent amount of quality fish. But we all know we HAVE to carry the BIG-OL tackle box to have the peace of mind!

MikeYac

Posted by Lpbassman on 09-03-2003 04:06 PM:

Mac,
How true is that? I probably only use 20% of the lures I carry in my boxes but would never leave them at home for fear that my regular baits wont produce and that I'll have to try something out of the ordinary.

Wild Bill---good post. I guess its SLIDER 101 on the 13th.

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Posted by HugeFish4 on 09-03-2003 04:36 PM:

I never caught a fish on a blade bait until last year either. However, in December and January (yes January) I caught largies vertically jigging silver buddies and BPS blade baits in about 30-40 feet of water. Never caught a bass on a horizontal retrieve though.

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Posted by Bass Rat on 09-03-2003 07:04 PM:

hoover lure

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Posted by dodgeguy on 09-03-2003 08:41 PM:

i never caught anything on those garbage senkos!!!!

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Posted by Bass Stalker on 09-04-2003 11:36 AM:

For all those who have no success with the blade baits, I will gladly take them off your hands !!! LOL

All kidding aside, this is hands down MY number #1 lure when targeting SM on deep rocky structure. The flipside, I've had very little success using it for LM, believe me I tried !

Charlie made an excellent point regarding the use of a proper snap to fish this lure effectively, I couldn't agree with him more. I also agree with everyone that technique, confidence, practice, etc., are important but overall I feel application prevails.

One needs to match the lure to the proper conditions in order for that lure to be effective and produce results. For example, I wouldn't use a spinnerbait to fish a 40' channel drop just like I wouldn't use a blade bait to fish a 5' weedy flat. This may be an obvious statement but it applies to certain lures and determines their effectiveness and how much confidence one will gain in that lure.

Thanks,
Ronnie

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Posted by Bink on 09-04-2003 03:42 PM:

I have about 7 Trap type baits including two Lucky Crafts that are sweet looking but I can never seem to catch any fish with them,oh I've been with guys doing great with them but for me nada. Silver Buddies are easy to use once you find the fish and we use them in the early Spring and late Fall.

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Posted by earthworm77 on 09-04-2003 06:48 PM:

Charlie, I actually did catch a bass on a bare hook last season. Now, it makes the most sense that many guys have blade baits at the top of their list. Where I live, I've caughjt a few bass on them in cold weather but most waters are too shallow for them to be used consistently. I have a rule each season: I set out to completely learn how to fish one new bait every year. I stick with it and develope my tactics with it. I then file it as a viable option out on the water that I have confidence in. Trust me, it works. Go to a few places with spinnerbaits and only sapinnerbaits, you will forcfeed yourself to learn them and you will be better for it.

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Posted by Charlie on 09-05-2003 08:39 AM:

Craig (da Earthworm!) wrote

Charlie, I actually did catch a bass on a bare hook last season.

So, why does that NOT surprise me!!!

The "GURU" strikes again!!!!!

Tight Lines!
Charlie

Posted by earthworm77 on 09-05-2003 01:57 PM:

Seriously. I was unhooking a fish and must have popped my line back in the water. Next thing I know, my rod pulls down. The fish bit a black chrome Owner Mutu light. Give me a call, I have a place or two you might want to accompany me at to cheer yourself up. We could fish with bare hooks if you want but we might not do that well.

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Posted by snookmasterj on 09-05-2003 03:03 PM:

senkos and spinners

never caught fish on a senko or spinner. ive caught like 2 or 3 dinks on a senko, but ive never caught anything on a spinner, not even a hit. Ive been fishing both of these alot this year too, atleast every other time im out.

Charlie, what did you learn from that pro about spinners, any tips that you can explain w/out actually having to show me?

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Posted by JOHN G on 09-05-2003 09:57 PM:

Ronnie: LM are very very willing biters of those blade baits, believe me!!!

Charlie really hit it right on the money: the line/snap connection is everything!!!

having been very successful with blade baits over the last couple of years, a couple of things I have found:

1. use a thicker diameter line...right now, I use 15 pound Fluoroclear

2. I use the BPS brand "lazer blade", perfect weight and size ( only comes in one size!!!!).....also, unlike the Silver Buddies, the Lazers hooks are on split rings, not molded to the lure body, so that you can change hooks....

3. the hooks when new are very sharp, but in most cases, after using them one outing, I switch over to Gamakatsu hooks, makes a big difference

4. instead of a snap, I put a split ring onto the top middle hole and then tie to the split ring...

the combination of the heavier line, along with the split ring tie gives you way less foul ups!

fish them on baitcaster exclusively....you need a very free spool, because often you will want to send it down vertically right underneath you in a hurry.....6 foot 6 inch medium heavy rod

Sonar reading is totally essential for bladebaiting....one of the few times that you do look for actual fish on a sonar, arches , of course, as the fish ID function should always be off....as you run off of dropoffs into deeper water, you have to glue your eyes to that sonar to look for patterns of arches appearing at a certain depth relative to the dropoff.....you could also look for schools of baitfish and drop it down into and below those too......

it is just totally amazing when you coordinate what you see with the sonar and then catch a fish on that blade bait...a real bass turn on!!! if your sonar is set right, you can actually see your blade going up and down on the screen when you are fishing vertically up at the bow........

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Posted by Bass Stalker on 09-07-2003 12:34 PM:

John,

I concur, LM will readily hit a blade bait ! However, most of my fishing is on weedy lakes where the blade bait is not a practical choice. On the other hand, when fishing for LM in lakes that are rocky and virtually weedless, I have good success with the blade bait.

I also like the BPS Lazer Blade, it's a quality bait and the 5/8 oz. size is ideal for most applications. I'll take your advice and try the split ring instead of using a snap. One of my favorites is the Rattling Heddon Sonar......the "eyes" are constructed of a horizontal chamber that contains a brass "bb" inside which makes a very distinct sound, unlike other blade baits.

With regards to line, I use (50lb) Braid exclusively. IMHO there's no substitute for the sensitivity and the lack of stretch that braid lines offer for deep water applications !

I recently purchased the Lowrance X87 and I agree that sonar reading is essential for bladebaiting. This sonar has amazing detail (320v x 320h) unlike my old Humminbird (60v x 30h). I'm actually overwhelmed by the superior detail, no doubt it will take some time until I can familiarize and become proficient with the unit.

Ronnie

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Posted by JOHN G on 09-07-2003 05:05 PM:

Yes, that display is just awesome...we have that on our Fishmark 320, same screen, it is so detailed and like most Eagle/Lowrance, extremely accurate.....

you might be interested to know that I was just looking through the bass pro shop catalogs and found and new blade bait with photo type detailing that comes with a built in split ring on top!!!

I will have to check them out to see if they are equally good....will save the split ring preparation step if they are.......

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Posted by JOHN G on 09-07-2003 05:08 PM:

and here it is as a matter of fact!!!!!

the Zip Lure by Bitzer Creek

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Posted by JOHN G on 09-07-2003 05:11 PM:

now, looking at this sucker, it appears that the front hook is a two pronged.....the rear, is a treble, however, the rear only has a split ring.....not a bad idea, less snag on the front and replaceable on the back end which usually sticks the fish.....

they are in several patterns and weights.......

will order them soon to take advantage of for the fall......

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Posted by Bass Stalker on 09-07-2003 05:31 PM:

John,

Looking at the picture, the bait appears to have a "stand-up" head design. How great would that be, I've been wishing that someone would produce one for the longest time !

Ronnie

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Posted by got_A_way on 09-09-2003 04:27 PM:

Zip Lure never worked for me

I do want to try one of Wild Bill's poka dotted, marmelade creature bait. Do they really catch fish ?

Posted by Senkosam on 09-10-2003 05:58 PM:

If they ain't bite'n Wild Bill's poka dotted, marmelade creature bait they ain't bite'n noth'n!!

FrankM

Posted by Wild Bill on 09-11-2003 09:29 PM:

Too funny...!!!!

A guy pulls out a "polka-dotted, marmalade creature" just once......{LOL} and I become a "sea lebrity" here.......of course, Frank ain't fessin up he designed and poured it...{LOL}Y'all are just too funny !

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Posted by Senkosam on 09-12-2003 07:02 PM:

One thing Bill isn't telling you, is that when he and I fished, he was toking a few, looked down at a brightly colored Brush Hog on the floor of the boat and said, "man, doesn't that look just like a poka-dotted, marmelade creature bait?" And I said, "sure Bill", and kept on fishing.

But then, the stuff wore off and he actually remembered what he had a vision of and asked me to design one just like he saw. I told him, "if you want, I'll make you one," and that's how Wild Bill's poka dotted, marmelade creature bait came into existence.

It's amazing what you can accomplish with just a little imagination (or should I say imagining . lol

FrankM

Posted by Wild Bill on 09-12-2003 07:34 PM:

I fell of my chair...

laughing at all this thread now....
I don't know...the Orange Lake soft plastic pourers from this site seem to be able to create it all...{LMAO} ..including this whole story...never seen plastic worms with gonads and other appenages, or huge mammary glands before {LOL}...
Frank, you got one funny sense of humor !

Got_a_way, it's all a joke, that is, unless Frank has been pouring and inhaling the fumes since this thread started, or inhaling then pouring....{LMAO}

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Posted by Senkosam on 09-14-2003 08:33 AM:

When Bill wasn't staring at his feet, he brought in multiple fish off the same dock, like this cutey. (I'm talking about the fish - I don't refer to fishing partners as cute, even if they are!)

FrankM

Posted by Wild Bill on 09-14-2003 09:01 AM:

I truly expected....

when I saw this post and this photo of me by Frank,to see a doctored photo with..........a "polka-dotted marmalade creature" bait hanging from it's lips, or in my hands somehow....LMAO
Frank, It was a great day....hope to do it again soon....Thanks!

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